Stages of Transformation

Access to deeper levels of change

All children go through developmental stages on the physical level — from newborn to crawling to walking, followed by adolescence and mature adulthood. Although every person is unique, there are predictable, universal stages of physical development.

What if there are also universal "stages of consciousness" that we all go through? If so, understanding these stages would help us support our coachees — and ourselves. If we know which stage a coachee is at regarding a specific issue, we can choose a change method that fits this stage and gently accompany them to the next.

Here is a summary of three models — three dimensions in which the stages of development unfold. Please note that this does not always happen in the "right order", and sometimes a stage can be skipped.

Model 1: Orientation of the unconscious

Stage 1 — Stuck in a problem state, our unconscious thinking is "oriented towards the negative": habitual inner movies set in the future with a negative outcome — fear, suffering, decline — even while we consciously try to "think positive".

Stage 2 — We use changework methods to reorient the unconscious in a positive direction, e.g. the method of natural self-healing or the grief resolution process.

Stage 3 — We let the unconscious move completely on its own; both the positive and the negative "direction" are openly possible, and we are fully in the here and now without adding beliefs, assumptions or meanings. For someone at stage 1 this can feel frightening; for someone who has "mastered" stage 2 it is the opposite of giving up — fully embracing life as it is and giving the body the maximum opportunity to heal. If you know Core Transformation, you may recognise that CT creates a gentle transition from stage 2 to stage 3; The Wholeness Work® takes this shift of consciousness even further.

Model 2: From outside, inward to the essential

Stage 1 — We have a problem and assume nothing can be done about it.

Stage 2 — We believe change is possible, but assume the necessary changer is something outside of us — the right medicine that heals us. This is the stage where the placebo effect can work well: it actually harnesses the "power" of our own consciousness while we keep believing we are healed by something more powerful than ourselves.

Stage 3 — We recognise that we can create the placebo effect ourselves; our thoughts can sometimes be the medicine that heals us.

Stage 4 — We begin to experience an efficacy in us that needs no healing or healing power: everything is already all right, before and whether a "healing" takes place or not. When there is a deep and genuine letting go of "having to" be absolutely healthy, our physiology is actually in the best position to heal. And remember: sometimes stage-1 or stage-2 thinking is true — some things cannot be changed, and sometimes healing comes from outside. Practising The Wholeness Work®, we discover we are better able "to change the things we can change, to accept what cannot be changed, and to have the wisdom to know the difference."

At this stage of transformation, of acceptance, of letting go, we may experience something similar to stage 1 — but in a different way. We are at peace with the reality that we all die at some point and never know our time in advance. We are also at peace with the reality that sometimes "miracles" happen and recoveries occur for which there is no known physical explanation. At this stage we discover that we can experience all of this while loving whatever is unfolding.

Model 3: From force to non-force

This is one of the most significant dimensions of the stages of transformation.

Stage 1 — The person freezes in the problem state. (In the training we come to see how the problem state is maintained by an unconscious force in the system.)

Stage 2 — The person looks for "breakthrough" methods: change is possible, but only through strong force or willpower to "overcome" our limits.

Stage 3 — We use careful effort or force to create change. Methods at this stage require effort, but they help us move in a positive direction and can be very useful.

Stage 4 — Methods at this stage need no force or inner compulsion in our system. Now we open up to a way of living based on no compulsion at all, resting on wholeness. The benefit is increased spontaneity: context-appropriate, unplanned responses to situations as they arise — wisdom and humour. It is a radical change of consciousness, and it cannot be experienced through effort or force, not even subtly.

When we understand their depth and reach, The Wholeness Work® offers intensely meaningful ways to support ourselves and our coachees on a steady journey of continuous evolution and transformation.